News

Monkey’s Magic Merry Go Round, the latest entry into the growing roster of dark and daring horror films, is heading to the American Film Market (AFM) thanks to Great Escape. Produced by renowned filmmaker Joe Swanberg and Yale Productions, this twisted sci-fi horror marks the feature debut of Aidan Leary and promises to deliver a mind-bending ride for audiences.

In what can only be described as an unsettling combination of Late Night with the Devil and Blue’s Clues, the film revolves around James Jensen, the host of a children’s show called Monkey’s Magic Merry Go Round. However, beneath the playful songs and cheerful puppets, James begins to experience horrifying flashbacks to his repressed childhood memories. As the façade of his seemingly innocent TV show crumbles, James must confront his trauma while questioning whether his puppet co-stars are hiding far more sinister secrets. What’s more, there’s...

Exclusive: Ahead of the AFM, LA-based Great Escape is launching sales on horror film Monkey’s Magic Merry Go Round, the first project on the Terror Town genre slate from producer Joe Swanberg and Yale Productions.

Michael Gilio, whose screenwriting credits include MGM’s Dark Harvest and Paramount’s Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, stars in the movie.

From first-time feature director Aidan Leary, the film will get its world premiere next month at the Leeds International Film Festival in the UK.

The synopsis reads: “Something really bad happened to James Jensen when he was a kid. While hosting the latest episode of his children’s series ‘Monkey’s Magic Merry Go Round,’ his repressed memories begin to emerge, threatening his sanity, and possibly his life. Will Monkey and the Playground Pals help James recover his lost memories, or have they been withholding something from him all along? Where is the Post Lady hiding?...

Filmmaker Joe Swanberg was a major figure in the mumblecore film movement, and as the years have gone by he has also earned several credits in the horror genre, whether by taking acting roles in films like A Horrible Way to Die, You’re Next, The Sacrament, and Blackout, or by directing the werewolf movie Silver Bullets and contributing a segment to the anthology film V/H/S. Now Swanberg has increased his number of horror credits by five, as Deadline reports that he has teamed with Jordan Yale Levine and Jordan Beckerman of Yale Entertainment to produce a slate of five horror films – all of which have already wrapped filming! Four of the titles are Helldorado, Kenneled, Yellow Eyes, and Monkey’s Magic Merry Go Round. The fifth movie is currently simply known as the Untitled Jae Matthews Project.

Written and directed by Kansas Bowling (Cuddly Toys and the Troma release B.

Joe Swanberg (V/H/S, Drinking Buddies, Happy Christmas) and Yale Entertainment have wrapped production on five upcoming horror movies, Deadline reports this week.

Deadline details, “Swanberg’s slate of horror films with Yale Entertainment was inspired by the producing exploits of Roger Corman.” The lineup includes the following projects:

Helldorado Kenneled Yellow Eyes Monkey’s Magic Merry Go Round Untitled Jae Matthews Project

Swanberg said in a statement, “I was very lucky to team with Yale Entertainment, who understood the model and were excited to try the most ambitious version of producing five features back-to-back. Using my resources from 20 years in Chicago, combined with support from the great team at Yale and my co-producer Ben Gojer, we have brought five incredible projects to life, each led by exciting early career filmmakers with huge futures.”

Here’s everything you need to know about each of the five movies…

“Written and...

Exclusive: Producer Joe Swanberg has partnered with Yale Entertainment’s Jordan Yale Levine and Jordan Beckerman to produce a slate of five new horror films, each of which has now wrapped production.

Titles produced under the pact included Helldorado, Kenneled, Yellow Eyes, Monkey’s Magic Merry Go Round, and Untitled Jae Matthews Project.

Jesse Korman’s Yellow Eyes

Written and directed by Kansas Bowling (Cuddly Toys), Helldorado watches as Queho, a Native American serial killer with a checkered past, takes out the people of a struggling mining town in the stark deserts of Nevada one by one, with the town Deputy right on his tail.

Written by H.K. Moore and directed by Jay Burleson (The Nobodies), Kenneled follows a destitute dog walker who finds a wealthy client who saves him from financial ruin. But this is no ordinary dog…

Written by Mickey Solis and directed by Jesse Korman, Yellow Eyes...

Dark Sky Films gave the The Third Saturday in October slasher double feature a VOD and digital release back in May, and while we haven’t heard word of a Blu-ray or DVD release yet, the movies have made their way onto the Tubi streaming service… and soon, they’ll also be available on VHS! Which seems very fitting for a pair of movies that are meant to be throwbacks to decades gone by. In addition to the limited run VHS release, both original scores composed by WU10 will be available to stream on all major platforms starting this Friday, October 20th. You can listen to a couple sample tracks in the embeds at the bottom of this article.

Pre-orders of the VHS release can be made through the official website. You can get a standalone The Third Saturday in October VHS, a standalone The Third Saturday in October Part V VHS,...

Dark Sky Films gave the The Third Saturday in October slasher double feature a VOD and digital release back in May, and while we haven’t heard word of a physical media release just yet, the movies have now made their way onto the Tubi streaming service!

The titles of these slashers are The Third Saturday in October: Part I and The Third Saturday in October: Part V… and if you think it’s confusing that we’re jumping right from one to five, here’s a little more information on exactly what these films are:

What if a lost horror franchise made during the peak of the slasher genre was unearthed today, but only two of the films could be restored? Filmmaker Jay Burleson imagined just that with The Third Saturday in October.

A double feature of terror, The Third Saturday in October: Part V sees unstoppable killer Jakkariah...

The Third Saturday In October Part V and Part I are now available on digital and VOD courtesy of Dark Sky Films! A "double feature of terror" that harkens back to the video store horror days, we have an exclusive clip, along with comments from writer / director Jay Burleson!

"What if a lost horror franchise made during the peak of the slasher genre was unearthed today, but only two of the films could be restored? Filmmaker Jay Burleson imagined just that with The Third Saturday In October: Part V and The Third Saturday In October: Part I coming to VOD + Digital Platforms May 5th from Dark Sky Films.

A double feature of terror, The Third Saturday In October Part V sees unstoppable killer Jakkariah Harding once again stalking and butchering the football-loving residents of a small Alabama town, this time finding a treasure trove of victims after he chances upon a football watch party.

Stars: Antonio Woodruff, Darius Willis, K.J. Baker, Allison Shrum, Dre Bravo, Kate Edmonds, Veanna Black, Casey Aud, Lew Temple, Richard Garner, Libby Blake | Written and Directed by Jay Burleson

After making The Third Saturday in October Part V, the fifth entry in a non-existent series, what do you do for a follow-up? If you’re writer/director Jay Burleson you make The Third Saturday in October and give your faux franchise a starting point.

After a text crawl telling us what we’re about to see is based on a true story we launch into the story of serial killer Jakkariah “Jack” Harding who we see meeting his fate in the electric chair. Witnessing his execution are Ricky Dean Logan and Vicki Newton both of whom lost loved ones to Harding.

Unfortunately when they go to the cemetery to see him put six feet under they see something much worse.

Stars: Antonio Woodruff, Poppy Cunningham, Kansas Bowling, Ian J. Cunningham, Tom Hagale, Taylor Smith, Bart Hyatt, Robert W. Hill | Written and Directed by Jay Burleson

The Third Saturday in October was actually conceived before the slasher boom of the 1980s but wasn’t filmed until after the success of Halloween and Friday the 13th. Its odd perspective on the genre soon made it a cult film. But, as the title card tells us, this isn’t that film. This is The Third Saturday in October Part V, the fourth sequel from 1994.

A narrator takes us through a recap of the previous instalments concerning Jakkariah “Jack” Harding a serial killer who survived the electric chair and has terrified the town of Hackleburg Alabama every fall since his attacks timed to coincide with the big game between Alabama-Mobile Seahawks and the Tennessee A&m Commonwealth. But, as the narrator informs us, “This...

On the way from Dark Sky Films, The Third Saturday in October is a highly unique experiment ripped straight out of the 1980s, and we’re getting Two movies on the same day!

First up, The Third Saturday in October Part V kicks off this throwback double feature, and it’s followed by The Third Saturday in October Part 1. Confused?

The Third Saturday in October Part V is technically the second entry in the slasher series– there are no Parts II, III, or IV- but the recommended starting point in your viewing.

Meagan Navarro explains in her review, “The Third Saturday in October Part V is a clever slasher parody that aims to recreate that feeling of renting Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan on a weekend because someone beat you to the video store and snatched up all the other entries first.” After you’ve seen it,...

On the way from Dark Sky Films, The Third Saturday in October is a highly unique experiment ripped straight out of the 1980s, and we’re getting Two movies on the same day.

First up, The Third Saturday in October Part V kicks off this throwback double feature, and it’s followed by The Third Saturday in October Part 1. Confused?

The Third Saturday in October Part V is technically the second entry in the slasher series– there are no Parts II, III, or IV- but the recommended starting point in your viewing.

Meagan Navarro explains in her review, “The Third Saturday in October Part V is a clever slasher parody that aims to recreate that feeling of renting Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan on a weekend because someone beat you to the video store and snatched up all the other entries first.” After you’ve seen it,...

I primarily associate distributor Dark Sky Films with Adam Green’s Hatchet / Victor Crowley slasher franchise – so it seems very appropriate that the company is now home to the old school style slasher franchise The Third Saturday in October! The two Third Saturday in October films have been making the festival rounds in recent months, and today Dark Sky Films has announced they will be giving them a VOD and digital release on May 5th!

The titles of these slashers are The Third Saturday in October: Part I and The Third Saturday in October: Part V… and if you think it’s confusing that we’re jumping right from one to five, here’s a little more information on exactly what these films are:

What if a lost horror franchise made during the peak of the slasher genre was unearthed today, but only two of the films could be restored?...

Dark Sky Films Brings The Third Saturday In October Part V + Part I to Digital/VOD May 5th: "What if a lost horror franchise made during the peak of the slasher genre was unearthed today, but only two of the films could be restored? Filmmaker Jay Burleson imagined just that with The Third Saturday In October: Part V and The Third Saturday In October: Part I coming to VOD + Digital Platforms May 5th from Dark Sky Films.

A double feature of terror, The Third Saturday In October Part V sees unstoppable killer Jakkariah Harding once again stalking and butchering the football-loving residents of a small Alabama town, this time finding a treasure trove of victims after he chances upon a football watch party. And then get ready to see how the horror began in The Third Saturday In October Part I, which tells the story of Harding's death row escape...

For horror fans, a title like The Third Saturday in October reads as a playful spin on popular slashers like Friday the 13th. For college football fans, it’s a day on which the Alabama–Tennessee football rivalry game usually takes place, at least until 1992. Writer/Director Jay Burleson melds them together in a retro-styled slasher parody meant to be viewed after […]

The post ‘The Third Saturday in October’ Review – Slasher Homage Experiments With Nostalgia appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

It's that time of year again, the 2022 Chattanooga (Virtual) Film Fest is right around the the first wave of titles and events is here! Taking place from June 23rd through the 28th, Cff is hosting at least one more all virtual event for all of the United States. A wonderful mix of new and vintage features, documentaries, and shorts await attendees alongside the always entertaining lineup of interactive events and lectures. Among the highlights are the world premieres of The Ones You Didn't Burn (dir. Elise Finnerty), Breathing Happy (dir. Shane Brady), and the duo of The Third Saturday in October Part 1 & The Third Saturday in October Part V (dir. Jay Burleson). Festival favorites Bitch Ass (SXSW 2022), LandLocked (Nightstream 2021), Honeycomb...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

For many of us, our childhoods were filled with ghost stories. Whether it was around the campfire, or sneaking a read with the flashlight under the covers, or catching a midnight movie, there was something vital and enduring about those supernatural tales. They whispered and bled the basics of storytelling genetics; something of the unknown, but also something far more familiar and terrifying... an opportunity to gaze into the abyss of the self.Alabama based filmmaker Jay Burleson is currently prepping Unfinished Business a feature that goes back to that well in an intriguing lo-fi way. After the death of her grandmother, 22-year-old Bailey Wallace is haunted by a ghost that lurks in her house. As she pieces together the tragic history of her home, she...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Here's something for your post-Halloween hangover. Imagine, it's 1985 and instead of Season of the Witch the filmmakers behind the budding Halloween series decided to stick with The Shape and deliver a third installment featuring Michael Myers.

We've got the trailer!

Actor Lane Hughes (You're Next, V/H/S, A Horrible Way to Die) teamed with director Jay Burleson to create a retro trailer envisioning what Halloween: Harvest of Souls would have looked like. Kudos to the gang for coming up with something that actually looks like a 20-year old VHS trailer. They've even got a cool tale explaining the history of their Halloween 3 to go along with it. Read the backstory and take a peek at the video.

Halloween: Harvest of Souls Backstory

After the failure of Halloween III: Season of the Witch, the rights to the Halloween franchise were lost in the shuffle of a merger,...